About

Chorlton Good Neighbours (CGN) is a neighbourhood care group working in the Chorlton, Chorlton Park and Whalley Range wards in Manchester

Started in 1967 by a group of local churches, community groups and other local people, we are now a well established charity offering social, practical and emotional support to mainly older people in our community.

We do this by recruiting, training and supporting volunteers who in turn provide this support by helping us run a range of services and activities.

How is Chorlton Good Neighbours funded?

CGN is funded through a variety of sources, including Manchester City Council, grant making bodies and individual donations, as well as our own fund raising efforts.

What services does CGN offer?

Coffee mornings

Exercise classes

Lifts to and from appointments

Home visits

Help with odd jobs

Referal to other agencies

Provide general advice and useful local knowledge

Social events

Information events

History Group

Day trips

Gardening Club

Men’s social afternoon

Melodics singing group

Who are our users?

Local older people – mainly from Chorlton, Chorlton Park and the Whalley Range area.

Our users often have little or no local family support.

The majority of our users are women, however, we are encouraging more older men to get involved through a project which specifically targets them.

What do our volunteers do?

Give lifts in their own cars to users. This includes helping with access to both onsite activities – such as a lift to a CGN coffee morning or exercise class- and lifts to off-site activities such as to appointments for doctor’s surgeries, hospital or clinics.

Support social events such as coffee mornings, fund raising events, Sunday teas and day trips out to places of interest such as the seaside, and country hotels.

Make home visits to individual older people who are housebound or struggle to get out and about and become isolated.

Carry out odd jobs. Assisting our older members with practical tasks such as form filling, dog walking and collecting prescriptions.

Wheel chair pushing. Taking housebound users out in their wheelchairs on walks to local parks, banks and shops, providing invaluable companionship, helping them maintain independence and get some fresh air.

Support the promotion of the group. this can include manning stalls at community and school fairs, running concerts and other fund raising events and giving talks to community groups and other organisations

Who works for Chorlton Good Neighbours?

Helen Hibberd is our full-time coordinator who oversees the daily running of the organisation.

Diane Dixon is our part-time visiting support worker whose remit is to offer a regular weekly visit to older people with specific needs

Wayne Marr and Geraldine Wall are our part-time ‘older mens project’ workers. , Wayne’s remit is to visit isolated older men and support the running of the Tuesday afternoon men’s social afternoon. Geraldine is coordinating the gardening project.

Moira Bowater, started as our community support worker in July 2016. This is what she says about her part time post:”I have met a number of people with various needs and have enjoyed getting to know the people I visit. Some of the people I visit I take out shopping in a wheelchair and my driving skills are getting better the more I do it! Others I visit for a chat or we go for a walk or go to a cafe for a chat and cup of tea or coffee”